The Picturesque Wilds of the Great Bear Rainforest

One of the simple pleasures of sailing aboard Outer Shores Expeditions’ Passing Cloud is being out on deck as you pass through impossibly picturesque fjords. Under sail, Passing Cloud is whisper-quiet, with on the sounds of her sails fluttering in the wind and the water idly lapping against her hull audible.

We’re approximately halfway between Bella Bella, British Columbia and Bella Coola today, transiting the strait on the northern end of King Island. Looking at the ship’s digital navigation plotter, I know where we are – but the view outside the ship’s wheelhouse might as well be the end of the world. There’s no one here, and the simple act of passing another sailboat – one of only three we’d see all day – is cause for celebration, as people on both ships come out on deck to give a hearty wave before receding into the distance.

After a morning of sailing, we went ashore for an afternoon hike on-land. This is my favorite activity onboard Passing Cloud, as you never know what you’ll find. Case in point: our view of the clearing is anchored by a large, wooden barge that has come aground decades ago. Rusted and rotten, it serves as an oversized flower pot as nature seeks to claim it for its own.

Rather than talk a lot here about what we did and where we went, I’d like to focus today’s report almost solely on photographs. Passing Cloud’s crew encourages guests, as much as possible, to take some time to be still, quiet and mindful – both onboard the ship, and ashore.

It’s a wonderful exercise. When you stop and listen – really listen – the forest comes alive with sounds, smells and sights that were hidden from you before.

This evening, we anchored offshore near a remote hot spring that’s popular with boaters; the most people I’ve seen since we left Shearwater at the start of our journey. Beset by pouring rain, I elected to stay onboard the warm, cozy Passing Cloud as my fellow guests donned rain gear and umbrellas for the short cruise over to the hot spring.

Standing on deck watching the rain come down, I marveled that four small sailboats at anchor can suddenly feel like “civilization.” Really, it’s not. One couple let their dog off their boat for a walk and a bathroom break on a midden where we’d seen wolves prowling as we entered. People or not, this is still very much the wild frontier.

It’s all the more reason why not just these forests, but all forests, should be protected. Without environmental protections and agreements like the historic one recently afforded to this part of the Great Bear Rainforest, who knows how long scenes like this will exist?